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OUR HISTORY
Gianni Cycling Association was founded in 1991 by Tom Gonnella (a.k.a. Snap) out of a bike shop in downtown Occidental. Gianni Cyclery was a full-service shop and purveyor of local hand-built bikes, including Ibis, Salsa, and Bruce Gordon. Over time, Gianni started a mountain bike race team and then eventually started putting on races of their own. One race became a cult classic called the “Ring of Fire” — tough and grueling considering the terrain. In the winter months, Gianni put on cyclocross races known as the “West Pole” cyclocross series, another grueling favorite. |
As the years went on, more and more customers became friends and riding partners, always looking for places to ride legally. Over 30 years ago, Gianni approached Louisiana Pacific (LP), to build and maintain a sustainable trail system on their property. Through the years of our ongoing lease agreement with LP and later with Mendocino Redwood Company (MRC), we have built a mountain bike community of nearly 300 members and constructed and maintained a trail system that promotes sustainable and responsible mountain biking and hiking experiences. |
The bike shop closed its doors in 1998, but Gianni Cycling Association has continued to steward the land between Occidental and Monte Rio and build a community of like-minded mountain bikers and outdoor enthusiasts. With the property transitioning from MRC to Sonoma County Regional Parks sometime in 2025 and new public spaces opening across West County, Gianni Cycling will continue to partner with local land managers and other groups to steward, plan, build, and maintain a network of sustainable trails and provide a social community for cyclists. To hear more listen to Snap’s interview with Miguel Crawford, published on June 14, 2025, about the early Gianni days and where we’re headed. |